Mayor's Weekly Message

Peru’s surfing great Felipe Pomar pays a visit

26 Feb 2016

On Wednesday (24 February), I was honoured to welcome to Manly Peru’s premier World Surfing Champion, Felipe Pomar.

Touring Australia as head of the 2016 Peruvian World Surfing Reserve Tour, Felipe (pictured) became a World Surfing Champion in 1965 yet is still fearlessly charging 10 metre waves today!

Accompanying Felipe was World Surfing Reserve Ambassador Carlos Uncanan, ‘Huevito’, the King of the ‘Caballito de Totora’, or ‘Reed Pony’, a traditional reed surfing board.

A member of the pre-Inca Moche civilization, Huevito and his ancestors have fished and surfed at Huanchaco in Peru for over 5,000 years.

Huanchaco and Manly were the first beaches in each of our countries to be declared World Surfing Reserves.

Manly Nippers hit 50!

Nippers are our Life Savers in training and the Nippers movement is Australia's biggest youth organisation. So, with that in mind, I was delighted to host on Thursday (25 February) a civic reception to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Manly Life Saving Club’s Nippers.

Manly Nippers have grown from an original six boys who first attended in the summer of 1965/66, to a dynamic youth development organisation of over 700 Nippers.

Just how important volunteer lifesavers are to Manly was made very clear in the past two weeks when two near tragedies were averted by quick-thinking, off-duty members of local surf life-saving clubs.

Manly Melanoma March

The early morning Manly Melanoma March, on Sunday 20 March, is an easy walk and great for the whole family.

Taking part is not only good for your health, but you'll also be fundraising for the Melanoma Institute Australia and raising awareness to fight this devastating disease.

The event host, James Economides, is hoping to help change the health outcomes and quality of life of people living with melanoma.

Registration is from 7.30am on the beach opposite The Corso, the walk starts at 9.00am.

Jean Hay AM